Monthly Archives: June 2016

When my children are facing new or challenging situations, my first instinct is to turn to books. By reading books about characters that work through, overcome, and grow from difficult or unfamiliar experiences, children learn strategies that they can then apply to their own lives. Books offer the luxury of a type of practice run for handling situations and, as I have come to find, there really is a book to complement every occasion.

I’ve relied on books when my children were preparing for the first day of school and feeling unsure of what the new year would bring, and when they’ve had issues with friends that they found difficult to process and explain. I especially depended on books when we lost a pet that was a significant and treasured member of our family. I have found that when my children are unable to relate to my experiences, or if they need to work through something on their own, often times they can find answers and comfort in a book.

Books are also counted on in fun and celebratory times to help provide a connection and insight into life events. From losing a tooth, to having that first sleepover, to staying home alone, and planning a family vacation, each event was more deeply experienced through the power of a connection with books. And the lessons and wisdom these books exude claim a permanent niche within a person’s being; always there to be revisited as life deems necessary. For example, when my son was five he desperately wanted to be able to whistle. Try as he might, he just couldn’t get the hang of it. “Whistle for Willie” by Ezra Jack Keats became a daily read and when he finally did learn to whistle, he attributed his success, in part, to the companionship he felt with Peter. To this day, it is still one of his most loved childhood stories and a reminder to keep trying, even when a task may seem too arduous to overcome.

There are countless situations that our children face each day that invoke a variety of emotions. As parents, we may be able to understand some of these happenings but others may leave us needing a little extra guidance. And that’s where books come in. Books, both fiction and non-fiction, are so effective at offering a reference point and scenarios that both adults and children can relate to, allowing them to better understand themselves and each other, leaving them better able to conquer life’s uncertainties together.

As it is for many families, the last day of school is an exciting event in my home. Beyond the thoughts of long summer days filled with swimming, hiking and ice cream, and late nights filled with bonfires, lightning bugs, and a sparkling, starry sky, is the anticipation of what has come to be known as, ‘the summer bags’. The summer bags are simple- usually brown paper sacks decorated with each child’s name and a fun summer scene that the kids excitedly open as soon as they return home on the last day of school. Now, you ask, what’s inside that makes these bags so exciting? Books.

Books purchased for the occasion from local booksellers, books passed down from friends, books from a Bright Red Bookshelf, and books long forgotten on our own bookshelves. Plenty of books. There may also be magazines and homemade gift certificates for summer activities, but always books. These books, thoughtfully chosen and presented as gifts, become treasures waiting to be discovered during chilly mornings and rainy afternoons, or read with a flashlight during too-warm, sleepless nights. These books hold endless possibilities and become the inspiration for outdoor play and art projects. They become a friend when boredom strikes, are the best reason to curl up in a hammock, and are the perfect activity for a long car ride. They can be taken anywhere and enjoyed everywhere.

Not only do the books from the summer bags provide entertainment and companionship, they also help protect the valuable skills and lessons my children gained throughout the school year. Reading during the summer helps all children retain information and expand their knowledge, preventing them from losing valuable skills and having to work extra hard to catch up in the fall when school starts up again. Children who lose skills over the summer find themselves even further behind their peers because while they are regaining skills previously learned, their peers who don’t need to catch up are already moving on to more advanced skills. Summer reading is both a pleasure and a necessary activity.

My children see the books they receive in their summer bags as a gift. And they are. These books are a gift that will introduce unique words not used in everyday conversation and will provide a glimpse into unfamiliar worlds. These books are a gift that will expand on and challenge the knowledge of what is already known. These books are a gift that will be opened again and again and their influence felt long after they have been read. Books are a gift with unlimited potential in how they shape a person’s life. My children perceive their summer bags as gifts of fun summer reading. I see them as gifts that contain endless possibilities.